The consummate team player, “The Count” was a member of all three AFL championship teams, and excelled as a runner, receiver, blocker and clubhouse presence. He won the AFL rookie of the year award in 1962, gaining 604 yards with a league-leading 5.4 per carry average during the Texans’ championship season. A sturdy blocker-once referred to as the “third guard” in the Chiefs attack-he also possessed unusually good hands for a big man, and in his final season with the club was switched to tight end. “Curtis is the kind of person you’d like to have in your organization forever,” said Hank Stram on the day McClinton announced his retirement. “He has always been a great credit to our team and organization both on and off the field. I’ll always deeply appreciate his loyalty and the attitude he has consistently expressed.” The son of the first African-American state senator in Kansas, McClinton went on to a distinguished career after his playing days were over, working on a wide range of economic development projects, serving as an appointee in the Carter Administration, and the deputy mayor of Washington, D.C.